Mexico City Vacation

 This post will only contain pictures. I will post again that shows all of the videos of Mexico.

This picture above, taken by Brian, is us getting ready to board the plane. At 12:30 a.m. Kids wide awake!  They were great travelers the whole time. We were so proud. It was strange for them to not have their car seats in Mexico.  Sounds weird, I know, but that's how most of the world gets around-the old fashioned way of kids in backseats and on laps.  The traffic is so bad in that city of 22 million people, I don't think we ever drove faster than 30 MPH.  

 A view of David's street. Mexico City is the largest populated capital in the world. It has 16 delegations that serve as basic "counties" throughout the city. David's family is from Delegacion Magdalena Contreras. Way up in the hills of the city.

 Outside the doctor's office. Same doctor that delivered David, Fabiola, Mayda, and Lula. Same doctor that treated Salvatore when his asthma kicked up.  Same doctor removed 4 of my moles from my neck and some of David's from his.  If you have to ask why, it's because it was CHEAP and EASY.

 Lourdes and I on the streets of Coyoacan-another delegation.  Beautiful little section of the city with cobble stone everywhere, street vendors and musicians, lots of shopping and the some of the best food you ever had.  There is a church there where David received his first communion.

 All in Coyoacan.

 This is in front of the family restaurant of Flavio and Daniel.  They live in San Juan Teotihuacan, about 30 minutes outside of Mexico City. We spent much of our time here 6 years ago. 

 Valentina y Tia Mayda.

 Valentina and I walking into the local church that is now a cathedral.

 Us walking to see the pyramids of Teotihuacan.  I studied this place in college, as Mexican-American History was my major. I first walked this Avenue of the Dead and climbed the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon back in 2005. To be here with my family now was just surreal.  

 Salvatore climbed to the very top of the Pyramid of the Sun with no hesitation.  He loved it and would shout and wave to me and the bottom with Valentina.  It is as sketchy as it looks, so I didn't want to try and hold Val and attempt the climb at the same time.

 We visited the Papalote Children's Museum! So fun!  This is Salvatore and I with the giant pins. I love how his face turned out...looks just like it did when I first saw his 3-D ultrasound.  If I was a millionaire, I would totally buy one of these and play with it all day.

 Maura (the bride), me, and Mayda.  The wedding took place in Cuernavaca, in the state of Morelos.  Beautiful, warm, sunny place to be. She was the most beautiful bride. I did not take one single pic of the wedding or any of us going to or from the wedding or reception. I relied on others for camera duty. When I tucked my camera in my bag, I never went back for it.  I will get some pics soon from Brian to post.

The neatest thing was that at the beginning of the ceremony, after we all walked down the aisle and took our places, we saw this huge dragonfly flying all around Maura and Balam.  It was Lula. The family has often seen representations of her as a dragonfly and it was unmistakable to see this one hang around the entire ceremony. It made us all cry.

 Some of the cousins. We had a huge dinner each night at a different house. The hospitality was amazing. So nice to see everyone so devoted to making a nice meal and evening for us. 

 The kids sitting on David's patio. 

 Lourdes and Armando's beautiful home. David grew up here.

There are little shrines and places to stop and pray and place flowers all throughout the city. Tons and tons of little places with statues of Jesus and crosses and the Virgin Mary.  Everywhere.